New
New
Year 8

Analytical paragraphs: Maya Angelou’s poetic voice

I can explore Maya Angelou's poetic voice in well-structured analytical paragraphs.

New
New
Year 8

Analytical paragraphs: Maya Angelou’s poetic voice

I can explore Maya Angelou's poetic voice in well-structured analytical paragraphs.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. We can make comments about Angelou's poetic voice by considering a number of her poems at the same time.
  2. When considering Angelou's poetic voice in an analytical paragraph, you should include (and explore) quotations.
  3. When considering Angelou's poetic voice in an analytical paragraph, you could include context to develop your ideas.
  4. A single paragraph outline is a way of planning a paragraph.
  5. First and final sentences of a single paragraph outline are written in full; supporting detail is written in note form.

Common misconception

Single paragraph outlines take too long to plan. You should just start writing.

Single paragraph outlines give you time to think and prepare. Spending time on these means that you will be able to write your paragraph efficiently knowing that it has a clear focus with well-selected supporting detail.

Keywords

  • Extended metaphor - a detailed comparison which develops one idea over a number of lines, paragraphs or stanzas

  • Jim Crow laws - laws enforced by American states which separated people based on the colour of their skin (late 19th century to 1965)

  • Civil rights activist - a person who advocates for social and political equality for those who have been denied equal treatment

  • Context - in English, historical, social, literary or biographical information which helps us understand a text more fully

  • Poetic voice - elements in a poem or poems that make it clear it is by a particular person or speaker

Consider if you need to increase, or decrease, the scaffolding in Learning Cycle 2. You could decrease by removing Andeep's single paragraph outline. You could increase by directing pupils to certain poems, or working through an additional single paragraph outline together.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need access to 'Phenomenal Woman', 'Woman Work', 'Still I Rise', 'On Aging', 'Caged Bird', 'Equality', 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me', and 'On the Pulse of the Morning' (Penguin Random House).

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
  • Depiction or discussion of sexual content

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which poem did Maya Angelou write and perform for President Clinton’s inauguration? (‘Single poet study: Maya Angelou’)
'Life Doesn’t Frighten Me'
'Equality'
'Phenomenal Woman'
Correct answer: 'On the Pulse of the Morning'
'Still I Rise'
Q2.
Maya Angelou is best known as a poet and a ? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
American rights activist
women's rights activist
citizen's rights activist
Correct answer: civil rights activist
Q3.
What were the Jim Crow laws? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
laws which separated people based on their profession
laws which separated people based on their nationality
laws which separated people based on their class
Correct answer: laws which separated people based on the colour of their skin
laws which separated people based on their age
Q4.
Match each method to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct Answer:commands,orders

orders

Correct Answer:refrain,repeated line or group of lines in a poem

repeated line or group of lines in a poem

Correct Answer:tone,the attitude of emotion of your voice - written or verbal

the attitude of emotion of your voice - written or verbal

Correct Answer:figurative language ,non-literal words or phrases to express complex ideas

non-literal words or phrases to express complex ideas

Correct Answer:extended metaphor ,a comparison which is developed over a number of lines

a comparison which is developed over a number of lines

Q5.
Match each word to its definition. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct Answer:defiant,boldly disobedient

boldly disobedient

Correct Answer:sincere,honest, truthful, genuine

honest, truthful, genuine

Correct Answer:forthright ,direct, frank, clear

direct, frank, clear

Correct Answer:authoritative,commanding, self-assured

commanding, self-assured

Q6.
Match each of these Maya Angelou poems to their main focus. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Correct Answer:'Woman Work',a Black female speaker describes her chores and emotions

a Black female speaker describes her chores and emotions

Correct Answer:'Equality',a defiant speaker demands equal rights

a defiant speaker demands equal rights

Correct Answer:'Phenomenal Woman' ,an assertive speaker explains why she is extraordinary

an assertive speaker explains why she is extraordinary

Correct Answer:'Caged Bird' ,an extended metaphor explores effects of the Jim Crow laws

an extended metaphor explores effects of the Jim Crow laws

Correct Answer:'Life Doesn’t Frighten Me' ,a speaker lists scary things but says she’s not frightened

a speaker lists scary things but says she’s not frightened

Correct Answer:'Still I Rise',forthright speaker explains why she will overcome any adversity

forthright speaker explains why she will overcome any adversity

6 Questions

Q1.
One way to plan what you will write about in a paragraph is to use a paragraph outline. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Correct Answer: single
Q2.
When planning a paragraph using a single paragraph outline, which aspect of the paragraph should be written in note form?
topic sentence
Correct answer: supporting detail
concluding sentence
Q3.
Match each of these terms to their definitions ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Correct Answer:topic sentence ,first sentence of a paragraph stating its main focus

first sentence of a paragraph stating its main focus

Correct Answer:supporting detail ,ideas which prove your topic sentence

ideas which prove your topic sentence

Correct Answer:concluding sentence ,sums up main ideas in your paragraph

sums up main ideas in your paragraph

Correct Answer:analysis,comments on why a writer has written something in a certain way

comments on why a writer has written something in a certain way

Correct Answer:context ,information about how, why and when the text was written

information about how, why and when the text was written

Q4.
What advice could you give a pupil who was trying to write a topic sentence to an analytical paragraph? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
include a quotation
write down everything you will focus on in your essay
Correct answer: have one clear focus
analyse a quotation
explore a method
Q5.
What advice could you give a pupil who was trying to write a concluding sentence to an analytical paragraph? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
include a quotation
say whether you like the text or not
analyse a quotation
explore a method
Correct answer: link to your topic sentence
Q6.
Which uses the word 'sincere' (or its forms) accurately? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct answer: I'm sincerely sad that I can't go to maths – it's my favourite subject.
Correct answer: I told her I was sorry, but I didn't mean it. I was being insincere.
I sincere when I asked if she wanted to come to the party.
It was a sincereless apology – he didn't mean it.